THE TREATMENT.
It is not the intention to give a list of set questions whose form and order are to be rigidly followed. It is difficult to fix upon the precise point where such questions cease to be helpful and suggestive and begin to trench on the legitimate province of the teacher. In order to avoid this unpardonable sin, the treatment of some of the stories has been elaborated quite fully, to show the work entire as it has been given to children; while that of others has been outlined, noting only the main points to be brought out and leaving the form of presentation largely to the teacher’s individuality.
Nothing can take the place of originality and spontaneity. If a fixed program is followed, the main purpose of the work will be missed and the interest for both teacher and children will evaporate. In the treatment of the two elements, the ethical and the nature material have been separated from each other and from the other parts. This is for the purpose of emphasizing them in the teacher’s mind. The plan need not be followed in the actual work. Questions and explanations may be introduced into the narration if care be taken that the interruption does not break the thread of the story.
There has been no attempt to divide the subject into lessons. However, the preparation, the narration, and the deepening should, in most cases, be all that is undertaken in one period of fifteen minutes. This is as long as young children should be kept to one exercise. If this is done in the morning session, the reproduction and the other exercises could come in the afternoon session.